Apologies to those expecting an immediate account of all events pertaining to my North Sea Adventure, namely, my wonderful mother Ruth-Op who goads me almost daily for photos and information regarding my trip. Further, while this journey was meant to be heavily cycling centric, the reason I came out the first place was to witness the wonderful nuptuals of TJ Edwards and Kelly (last name yet to be determined) Whelan.

Therefore, this first part of my tour of Northern Europe does not include much cycling as Irish weddings involve copious amounts of drinking and eating and altogether merriment. Additionally, for reasons you are soon to find out, my trusty stead named BERTHA had a rough time in Ireland and barely made it into and out of the country.

My bike and mind are now both finally sorted and the blog can therefore commence… I dedicate this ride to the two adventurous spirits who have instilled in me the sense that the world whatever you make of it and that fortune favors the bold. I love you both immensely Dr. Jay and Ruth-op!

In partnership with Virtue Bike of San Diego, the limited edition VeloGrinds Lightning Bolt combines the most versatile frame & fork on the market with the color scheme of the best uniforms in sports, The San Diego Chargers. With a unique horizontal rear dropout and derailleur hanger system, this frame is capable of running a traditional geared setup, an internal geared hub, or a single speed / fixed gear. Some other highlights include:

Rationale & Rough Review of Route

I have always loved physical and emotional challenges that promote a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you. Therefore when TJ Edwards subtly pressured me to come to Ireland for his wedding with the 3 simple words "Dean is coming," I booked a one-way ticket with the thought of making my way through Europe to see my family in Denmark. Never-mind that only days later Dean told me he was not going nor was ever planning on it, I started putting the plans in place to make the adventure happen.

After looking into how expensive and cliché it would be to make the trip via a EuroRail pass, I decided I had to practice what I preach regarding 2 wheels being the most rewarding and empowering way to travel.

So, with a month until the wedding, I built my dream bicycle which I have named BERTHA (I have detailed everything regarding this dream machine on the so-named title page). She is more built for comfort than speed, but I am not looking to win any races on her, just need a sturdy machine to power me across Europe in style.

After the wedding in Ireland I fly to London with the intention of only maintaining a rough sketch of where I am going next in order to allow myself to get lost in a city, country, or region I fall in love with. Below is the forever mutable outline of the places I need to see:

London to Newhaven

Ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe

Dieppe to Paris

Paris to Bruges

Through Belgium into the Netherlands

Amsterdam (for however long it takes haha)

Along the North Sea canal system into Germany

Hamburg

Due north into Denmark

Visit family farms along Danish peninsula

Stay with cousins in Arhus

Copenhagen

???

I anticipate the journey to last 2 months over 1,500 miles but that is just an estimate at best. Aided with an unlocked iPhone 5, local SIM card to power Google Maps, portable power source, maps, and only my necessary belongings, I hope to remain in one piece along the way.

For those of you worried about my stuff, don't worry its all insured through USAA so if sh*t happens I'm covered and can get back on the road. For those of you worried about my life, well that is insured too through Northwestern Mutual (thanks Tom Hammett), and while I by no means have a death wish, my view on life is perfectly summed up by the mercurial Hunter S Thompson:

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”